Allen Township to give open space referendum another try

Allen Township voters will consider more than whether to support a new president at the polls come November — they will be asked again whether they favor a tax increase to preserve open space.

Township supervisors, who met Tuesday without Chairman Paul Balliet and Vice Chairman Bruce Frack, voted 3-0 to approve putting the question to the voters again, by referendum, this fall.

In November, the measure failed at the polls when merely 43 percent of the voters supported it.

If it passes this time, township residents will pony up a 0.25 percent earned income tax increase, paid annually over five years, for the acquisition and preservation of green space.

Tuesday's meeting was attended by only one member of the public, who was not asked to give his name before addressing the board.

"I'm a little shocked this was brought up again, it was turned down by the voters," said the man, who declined to give his name when asked by a reporter. "Why are we putting this back on the ballot again?

"It's not sending the right message to the people that voted."

Supervisors believe the tax would generate about $130,000 annually, or enough to preserve 35 to 70 acres of open space each year, based on an average $60,000 annual income among residents.

Supervisors said the question needs to be asked when voters are most likely to turn out — during a presidential election cycle.

"We shouldn't have done it before," Supervisor Michelle Drzewiecki said. "We should have waited until now."

Only about 600 residents showed up at the polls in November, she said. The township has about 4,800 residents, not all of whom are registered voters.

"We're not doing it again because we want it to fly," Supervisor William Holmes said. "Last time we did it in a hurry."

Holmes said the board was pressured by Northampton County to put the measure on the ballot in November. He said they were responding to no such pressure this time.

He also insisted that, if passed, the tax would only be in place for five years.

"Let's do it for five years and then forget about it for a while," he said.

Voters in Lower Saucon Township had a similar question on their ballots last year, and passed the measure when nearly 57 percent of the voters supported it.

With only three supervisors present, the board had the minimum to establish a quorum for a vote, township solicitor B. Lincoln Treadwell said.